Experimental Modeling of Wind Driven Bin by Bin Resuspension Factors of Freshly Fallen Radionuclides After an Energetic Release From a Radiological Dispersal Device

Abstract

Smallscale experiments were carried out to characterize the resuspension factor of radioactive lanthanum oxide powder in an environmentally controlled wind tunnel, with the majority using particle sizes less than 10 خ¼m in order to assess the impact of wind resuspension stresses and surface roughness conditions on resuspension. Operational principles of the measuring devices used in the radionuclide resuspension experiments and corresponding uncertainties are discussed. The average binbybin particle resuspension factors (ki) for particle sizes, in the range of 0.25–7.00 خ¼m and 7.00–12.5 خ¼m for downwind fallout locations, were calculated and are reported here as 1.14أ—10−3 1/m and 4.39أ—10−2 1/m, respectively.